Celebrating the Beechmont Connector project
Bob Niedenthal, Wade Johnston | Published on 10/12/2022
Wednesday, 21 September, marked the official opening of the long-awaited Beechmont Bridge Connector that links the Little Miami Scenic Trail to the Lunken Airport Trail, Otto Armleder Park Trail, and Ohio River Trail in southwest Ohio. This critical trail link in USBR 21 eliminates a 5.5-mile segment of city streets and US highways. This challenging section of high speed, high traffic roads was considered by most riders the least appealing part of the 320-mile route of USBR 21 that follows Ohio SBR 1, more commonly known as the Ohio to Erie Trail, from the Lunken Airport in Cincinnati to the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland. This section of USBR 21 is now over 90% independent, designated bike trails.
USBR 21 which traverses the State of Ohio travels through 50 miles of the Little Miami State Park; along 70 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath, including 27 miles through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park; over the Bridge of Dreams, the longest pedestrian covered bridge in the US; along the Holmes County Trail, the only dual purpose recreational trail and horse & buggy path in the US; and into Cleveland where the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is less than 1.5 miles from the bike route.
"The $9.0 millon Beechmont Connector project by ODOT, Great Parks of Hamilton County and OKI Regional Council of Governments shows the level of commitment that the Greater Cincinnati area has in developing a safe and robust cycling infrastructure." Bob Niedenthal, Ohio to Erie Trail Board Member.